Knitting machine



April 11, 1939. A. VERBEEK 2,153,602

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 28, 1936 F J y www1/20 [Ill llllll N HIL anni. I* 1" 12J LL A A cfg Patented Apr. 11, 1939 KNITTING MACHINE Arnold Verbeek, Wustenbrand, Germany, assignor to Kalo, Inc., New York, N. Y., a. comoration of New York l Application November 28, 1936, Serial In Germany December 6, 1935 9 Claims.

eral description, to provide spring members preferably cam controlled which operate to engage the sinker jacks and maintain the sinkers in their fully advanced yarn sinking position to insure a uniform kinking of the feeding yarn. In the usual flat full-fashioned knitting machines',

these springs are supported on a jack spring bar,`

and are arranged for engagement with the sinker jacks to maintain the jacks and sinkers controlled thereby in their fully advanced position during the subsequent advance of the dividers. It has been l'ound, however,` that under certain operating conditions as, for example, when loops of diierent lengths are being knitted in the same course, that the increased' yarn tension on the shorter loops tends to cause the jack springs to be forced out of their supporting position, so that an uneven formation of the loops in the finished fabric results.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a sinker braking device which may be applied to secure a substantially uniform frictional braking action againstmovement of the sinkers from their fully advanced yarn sinking position, and thereby to insure a more uniform and eiiicient operation of the machine for the production of eveappearing fabric.

l With this and other objects in View as mayA hereinafter appear, a principal feature oi the invention consists in the provision of a braking device which-is arranged to engage against andl force vl'aterallyf the unsupported@ portion-of the sinkers extending across a cut-away portion of their grooves in the sinker head, and thereby to secure a frictional braking action against movement of the sinkers in theirgrooves which is automatically regulated for each individual sinker by the resistance of the sinker element to the bending action referred to.

The several features of the invention consist' also in the devices, combinations and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, which together with the advantages to be obtained thereby will be readily understood by one skilled in the artfrom the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which discloses the application of the present invention to a flat knitting machine, only so much of the machine being shown as is believed necessary to illustrate the connection of the invention therewith.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in front elevation showing the right hand end of the sinker head, the brake slide, and means for controlling the same;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the sinker head illustrating the alternating jacky sinkers and dividersl and the usual catch bar for 'controlling the operation of the dividers;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the sinker head with the top portion removed showing the brake slide in inoperative position;

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3, but with the brake slide moved to the left into braking position; and

Fig. 5 is a somewhat diagrammatic plan view showing the sinkers and dividers in their fully advanced positions in sinking a course of loops during the knitting of the high heels.-

The invention is herein disclosed as embodied in a flat full-fashioned knitting machine of ordinary description having the usual spring beard needles I0 indicated in Fig. 4, movable as a unit with relation to a fixed press edge I2, independently movable yarn measuring sinkers I4 alternating with dividers I'6, and a sinker head comprising the sinker bed4 I8 grooved to receive the alternating sinkers and dividers and a cover similarly grooved for guiding the sinkers and dividers. The sinker head is supported at intervals throughout its length on supporting frames such as that indicated at 22 in Figs. l and 2 forming part of the xed structure of the machine. The sinker bed I8 is constructed in the usual manner with a cut-away portion 24, and the cover 20 is i so thatfthe sinkers and dividers are unsupported by their grooves over a. considerable portion of their length within the sinker head. The sinkers are successively advancedto sink yarn by means of the usual sinker jacks 28 and slur cock 30. The machine is also provided with a catch bar 32 which operates in the usual mannerto advance the dividers I6 to re-measure the sunk yarn against the Shanks of all the needles. and thereafter to retract both sinkers and dividers preparatory for the knitting of another course.

In the preferred form of the invention herein disclosed, a braking device for maintaining the jack sinkers in their fully advanced position is provided, which comprises a brake slide 34 supported in a guideway lB-in the sinker head I8 affected by the lengthwise movement of the slide 34 to brake thl movement of the sinkers as hereinafter set forth. As best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing,l the slotted lugsY 38 are located on the slide 34 to extend upwardly into approximately the central part of. the cut-away portion 24, so that they operate against substantially the middle of the unsupported portions of the sinkers in the sinker head I8.

'I'he operation of the braking slide 34 is conveniently controlled'in timed relation to the operation of the machine by the mechanism shown in Fig. 1, which comprises a cam lever 40 supported on a xed pivot 42, and arranged at its upper end to engage against the right hand end of the slide 34. A cam roll 44 mounted on the lever engages against a cam 46 supported on a shaft 43 which may be driven through any convement connections in synchronism with the usual main cam shaft ofthe machine. A tension spring 50 connected at one'end tothe lever 40 and at its other end to a point on the machine frame, acts to maintain the lever 40 and roll 44 in operative engagement with the cam 48.

'I'he operation of applicants sinker braking device is as follows: At that point in the knitting cycle at which the slur-cock 38 has completed its movement to advance the sinkers successively to yarn kinking position, the roller 44 rides onto Y a low portion of its cam,'so that the lever 40 is permitted to swing under the influence of its spring to move the brake slide 34 to the left as shown in Fig. 5, causing the slotted members 38 to engage against the sides of and bend the unsupported portions of the sinkers laterally (see Fig. 4), thus providing a frictional resistance to any backward movement of the sinkers as the dividers I6 are simultaneously advanced by the action of the catch' bar 32 to re-kink the yarn against the shanks of all the needles. It will readily be seen that an extremely even braking action is applied "against the sinkers which is automatically determined for each individual sinker by the stiffness of the sinker element and by the amount of bend `produced by the movement of the slide 34. With the construction shown, the advance of the dividers I3 is in no way impeded or interfered with due to the existenceoi the relatively wide spaces 38 through which the dividers passbetween thev sinker braking lugs 38. After the catch bar 32 has been brought to its extreme forward position, re-kinking the yarn eoiirmly against all of the needle shanks, and is then dropped into engagement with the butts of the sinkers I4, the .brake slide 34 is again moved to the right toits initial position as shown in Fig. 3, as the roll 44 again rides onto the high portion ofits cani 43. The movement of the slide 3'4 tothe right to its inoperative position is assured by the spring'quality of the sinkers I4 which immediately tend to straighten out, carry-u ing the slide 34 to the right when released by the return of the lever 48 to its inoperative position shown in Fig. 1.

With this construction and arrangement of the braking mechanism, it will readily be seen that the sinkers are permitted to move freely in their 75 slots during the koperation of the slur-cock cam,

. bar 32.

and again as they are withdrawn by the retracting movement of the catch bar 32. The construction' illustrated has the very considerable advantage that the chance of faulty operation of the mechanism for maintaining the sinkers in their advanced yarn sinking position due to wear on the parts, is substantially eliminated, since any such wear as mayI take place is automatically taken up by the spring quality of the sinker elements. The braking mechanism above described is also of advantage in that the braking action is applied .thereto only at the time when the sinkers are to be maintained in fully advanced position, and permits of the free movement of the sinkers to and from yarn sinking position under the inuence respectively of the'slur-cock 30 and catch A further advantage of the present construction consists in the fact that the braking action against the sinkers is continuously and evenly applied, thuseliminating'or reducing to a minimum the possibilityof faulty operation of the sinkers which might otherwise result from failure of the braking device toA hold the sinkers in their extreme forward position. An example of this, condition is illustrated in Fig. 5', which illustrates the klnking of a course of loops during the knitting of the high heels, in which relatively long loops are formed on the high heel sections, and relatively small loops are being knitted on the intermediate. portion of the needles, so that the intermediate needles are forced forwardly a relatively greater extent by the advance of the dividers to re-kink the yarn, thus causing a considerably greater strain to be thrown onto the sinkers cooperating with this group of needles. The additional strain against the sinkers kinking small loops may with known mechanisms force the sinker elements rearwardly a slight amount. With applicants "device, such movement, however, is prevented by the continued braking action against the sinkers, which serves to prevent any irregularity lin the lengths of the finished loops.

While the invention is herein disclosed as appliedto a fine gauge machine to maintain the sinkers in their forward position only during the advance of the alternating dividers, it will be `understood that the present Iinvention in its broader aspects may be equally well applied to a machine of this general description in which dividers are not employed, and further that variations may be made in the construction and timing of the braking mechanism to cause a frictional braking action to be applied against the sinkers at a relatively earlier point in the operating cycle as the sinkers are advanced by the operation of the usual slur-cock to kink the feeding yarn.

The invention having been described, what is claimed is:

1. In' Va knitting machine havingneedles movable as a unit andyarn measuring sinkers. the combination of a sinker bed in which the sinkers are slidably supported, means for successively advancing the sinkers to sink yarn against the needle Shanks. braking means arranged for enuring sinkers and dividers,the combination of a sinker bed in which the sinkers and dividers are slidablysupported, means for successivelyl advancing the sinkers to sink yarn against the' needle shanks, braking means arranged for fr ictional engagement with the sinkers only to arrest sliding movement of the sinkers, Iand means for actuating said braking means during each knitting cycleto permit a free advancing movement of the sinkers, and ithereafter to produce a frictional resistanceagainst movement of the sinkers.

3. In Va knitting machine having needles movable as a unit, independently movable yarn measuring sinkers and dividers, thecombination of a sinker bed in which said `sinkers and dividers are slidably supported, means for successively advancing the sinkers to sink yarn againstthe needles, a catch bar operable to advance the dividers and .thereafter to retract the sinkers and dividers, sinker braking means for frictionally resisting the sliding movement Iof the sinkers, and means for actuating said braking means to relieve said frictional resistance during the advancing movement of the sinkers and to `main tain a substantial braking action against backward movement of the sinkers during the advanceof the dividers.

4. In a knitting machine having a series of needles movable as a unit, successively operable yarn measuring sinkers and dividers, a sinker .bed in which said sinkers and dividers .are slidyarn measuring operation of said sinkers, and,

thereafter to frictionally engage the sinkers.

5. In a knitting machine having a series of needles movable as a unit andyarn measuring sinkers, the combination of a sinker bed having formed therein grooves to` receive the sinkers anda portion thereof cut away leaving an intermediate portion of the said'sinkers unsupported by said grooves, and a sinker braking device comprising a slide supportedifor movement length-l wise of the needle series and having members 4arranged for frictional engagement againstthe side of each of said sinkers passing across said cutaway portion, and means for moving the slide and said members S'UDDOrted thereon to bend laterally the unsupported portion of each of said sinkers.

.6. In' a knitting machine having a series of needles movable as a'v nnit and yarn measuring sinkers, the combination of-a sinker bed having formed therein groovesto receive the sink'- ers, and a portion thereof cut away leaving an intermediate portion of the 'said sinkers unsup-4 7. In a knitting machine having a series of,

needles movable as a unit, independently mov- Sable yarn measuring sinkers and dividers, the

combination of a sinker bed grooved to receive the sinkers and Adividers and having a cut-away portion extending along its length to leave an intermediate portion of said sinkers unsupported by the grooves, means for advancing the sin'kers to sink yarn against the needles, a catch bar for advancing the dividers and thereafter for retracting the sinkers and dividers, and a sinker braking device comprising a slide movable lengthwise of the sinker bed and having members ar- .ranged for frictional engagement against .the

side of each of said sinkers passing across said cut-away portion of the bed. and means for moving the slide to bend said imsupported portion of each of said `sinkers duringthe advance of the dividers. l

8. In a knitting machine having a series ci.

needles movable as a unit, independently movable yarn measuring sinkersan'd dividers, thev combination of .a sinker bed grooved to receive the sinkers and having a cut-away'portion leavmovable yarn measuring sinkers, the combination of a sinker bed grooved to receive th'e sinkers and having a cut-away portion leaving an in termediate portion of eachof said sinkers unsupported by its groove, and means for bending the unsupported portions of the sinkers to friction the sinkers against .movement in their grooves.

ARNOLD 

